


A set back which led me to you

by mordredllewelynjones



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Bad Riddles, Coffee, Coffee Shops, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, Season/Series 01, Summer of Gotham, What is slow burn?, attempted coffee shop au, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 14:53:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15342261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mordredllewelynjones/pseuds/mordredllewelynjones
Summary: When his plans to infiltrate Maroni's ranks go slightly askew, Oswald finds himself working in a small Italian style coffee shop. With the frustration that comes with plans not yet realised teamed with the fact that he detests coffee, this is hardly a situation he finds amusing. Things only get worse when a new, and very irritating, customer walks through the café doors.A coffee shop au one shot for week 6 of Tumblr's Summer of Gotham. (My first try at a coffee shop au.)No sex or rude stuff in this story.(Written by someone who has zero knowledge of both coffee and coffee shops.)





	A set back which led me to you

Things had not gone to plan. Not that they had necessarily gone bad, if they had then he wouldn't still be alive, but the way things were going it would take him longer than he had expected to gain the level of access he needed to Maroni's secret dealings. For now though all he could do was be content with the place he had and plan his next move, that and hope that Don Falcone didn't run out of patience. One mob boss was more than enough to deal with. Still, the fact that his plan hadn't worked the way it was supposed to earked him and his current surroundings did nothing to lift his low spirits.

Oswald sighed as he opened the door to a small Italian coffee shop which would until further notice be his place of work. Little had he known that in killing off the restruant manager he had simply secured a promotion for one of Maroni's other lackeys, a man who had apparently save Don Maroni's life a while a back and who Maroni owed a dept to as a result. So, instead of getting himself a place at the mob bosses base of operations, Oswald had secured himself a possition as head barrista of this small cafe, one of Maroni's many 'legitimate' businesses and he was stuck here until he managed to get rid of the new restraunt manager just like he had done their predecessor.

Yet despite all these massive worries that were weighing on his mind there was only one thing that was really bothering Oswald at present. He hated coffee. It was revolting. Being put in charge of the coffee shop just added insult to injury and he was far from impressed and he doubted his customers would be any more thrilled. He had barely heard of half the beverages on the menu and out of the ones he did recognise he could safely say that he didn't know how to prepare a single one of them. He approached the coffee machine cautiously and switched it on. The noise was abysmal, it seemed to shake the whole room as it screeched and clanked like someone doing road works outside. He shut it off quickly. That was quite enough of that, he could do without a skull splitting head ache, thank you very much.

For the first few hours of his shift the place remained, thankfully, empty. Not a single customer was to be seen and for that Oswald was very grateful. His solitary bliss was cruelly assassinated, however, at around lunchtime when the door to the cafe opened to reveal Oswald's very first customer.

Edward Nygma walked into the small and very traditional looking coffee shop, looking around curiously at his surroundings. It seemed nice enough even if the bulky mahogany bar and matching stools did make the room seem a tad on the dark side. It wasn't often that he left the precinct during his lunch hour, he preferred to work straight through it most of the time, but when he did his favourite thing to do was wander the city and try out all the various cafes that he came across. In a city as big as Gotham there was a large amount to chose from so he had made a sort of hobby of it, comparing the drinks in every coffee shop he went to and never visiting the same place twice. It gave him sometime away from the idiots at the GCPD when he could just sit and work on his riddles in peace. Once he caught sight of the barista, however, whatever plans he had had of just finding himself a quiet corner vanished.

Ed didn't know what it was about the small, dark haired man that he found so entrancing exactly. It certainly wasn't his friendly attitude. The man's pale eyes were narrowed in an angry scowl and he seemed determined to ignore Ed's presence, not that that was anything new. Edward was more than used to that by now. Dressed to the nines, his fringe hanging low into his eyes and drawing attention slightly away from his pointed nose, he wasn't what you'd call classically hansom though he was by no means unattractive. He had a look all his own and it was obvious that he had a personality to match. Barista's seldom radiated such levels of power yet this was a man who it was clear that you didn't cross and Ed found that deliciously intriguing. He wanted to get to know him, to find out what made him tick. A task that would prove easier said than done.

"I'm legal although I'm a drug, a high that few can start the day without. Brown and often bitter, I can be found in every shop and am offered at almost every home. What am I?"

Oswald stared at the tall bespectacled man in disbelief. Was he serious? Either way, Oswald wasn't amused. "Coffee" he replied rolling his eyes "A bold choice considering that this is a coffee shop." Edward grinned enthusiastically, spurred on by the fact that the man had bothered to answer his riddle. Few people ever even tried. "Do you like riddles?" Ed asked hopefully. "No" Oswald snapped "Are you going to order or not?" He didn't have time for this nonsense. Ed looked at the list of beverages that were on offer, in truth he hadn't even stopped to think about what he wanted. "Could I get an Espresso Romano?" he asked finally. The barista nodded curtly before turning away from him to survey the back counter grimly.

Deciding to start with what little he actually knew about the drink he was supposed to make, Oswald found a tiny Espresso cup and placed it on its corresponding saucer. That done he proceeded to stare around helplessly. What now? Searching around the tins and jars dotted around he found one with a promising label, feeling quite pleased with himself for getting this far. His inexperience obviously showed though, as his customers next remarks made clear. "What's your name?" Ed asked conversationally, smiling lightly as he rested his chin on his hands, staring somewhat dreamily at his 'companion'. Up close he could see the many freckles that dotted Oswald's face and he was fighting the inexplicable urge to count them. "Paolo" Oswald replied automatically, giving the same false name he had given Maroni and everyone else he had met since his supposed death at the docks "Now if you don't mind, I'm trying to concentrate." Unfazed by Oswald's less than friendly tone, Ed continued.

"You've never done this before, have you Paolo?"

Before the aspiring King of Gotham could reply Edward had hopped over the counter and, taking the small cup from a startled Oswald's hands, proceeded to make his coffee himself, walking Oswald through every step as he did so. "And that's it" Ed finished proudly as he wedged a slice of lemon onto the rim of his cup. He beamed at Oswald. "And I suppose you're going to try and get away without paying now" the smaller man grumbled, glaring at him in a challenging sort of way. "I wouldn't dream of it" Ed replied with a nervous chuckle. He was disappointed that his friendly advances seemed to be failing and was unsure what it was that he was doing wrong. He had only been trying to help. He took a sip of his coffee self consciously as the awkward silence stretched on. They simply stared at one another, each trying to gage what the other was thinking but coming up blank.

The tense atmosphere was finally dispersed by the arrival of another customer and both men were secretly glad of it. Their combined lack of social skills was enough to make anyone feel uncomfortable. Yet the arrival of another customer wasn't something Oswald was overly pleased about. After all, it just put him and his appalling coffee making skills in the firing line once more. Or so he thought. Still determined to make a good impression, however, and seeing the look on his new 'friend's' face, Edward began to make himself busy behind the counter once more as he helped a confused and suspicious Oswald with the orders that began to trickle in. He whispered instructions discretely as he showed the clueless barista how to use the coffee machine, being careful to make sure that his fellow customers didn't overhear. He had the feeling that the man at his side was not the sort who liked to be made a fool of. To Ed's surprise and delight Oswald was a fast learner, intelligent and resourceful, and he was soon flying pretty much solo with just the occasional suggestion from Edward with the more unusual orders. They made a pretty good team, Ed reflected happily.

Eventually though it all came to an end. Glancing at his watch, Ed was horrified to see that he had lost track of time and that his lunch break had ended quarter of an hour ago! Reluctant to leave so suddenly but already starting to panic about what captain Essen would say about his tardiness, he cleared his throat to attract the other mans attention. "I have to go" he muttered guiltily "I'm late for work." He rummaged around in his pocket before putting a five dollar bill down on the counter. "Well I'm confident I can handle things myself" Oswald replied although the aggressive side to his voice had subsided. He watched as Edward vaulted back over the bar, trying to figure out what this mans game was. He was so used to fighting, to having people use him and take advantage of him, that he expected it from everyone except his mother. However, this man seemed genuine in his attempts at friendship or at least civility. Seized by a sudden impulse, Oswald held out his hand to the dithering stranger. "I don't think I ever asked" he said with a small smile, the first he had given that day. Edward practically beamed as he shook Oswald's hand eagerly.

"Edward Nygma."

Parting on slightly more amiable terms than which they had started, they both went about their separate lives. Ed left the coffee shop feeling conflicted, he was sure that his abysmal performance today had been worse than his many less than impressive attempts to catch Miss Kringle's eye yet he had been surprised to find that he had somehow still managed to coax 'Paolo' out of his shell slightly. Should he think of today as a success or not? Oswald, on the other hand, went back to his scheming, sparing as little thought to his temporary surroundings as he had before. He wouldn't be working here long, soon he would move on and in doing so would be one step closer to his goal of ruling Gotham. Still, he would be here for a couple of weeks at most and as he went about his business in the café he found himself wondering vaguely whether he would ever see Edward again.

As things turned out, he did. The annoying yet good natured riddle enthusiast came back the next day, quickly becoming a regular, and despite Oswald's original misgivings he soon warmed to him. He was clever, caring and had some surprisingly morbid interests. He had revealed that he worked as a forensic examiner at the GCPD but despite his connections he seemed oblivious to Oswald's true identity. Either that or he simply didn't care. At any rate, it meant that they had a surprising amount in common and despite the unorthodox start they soon became fast friends. It was a pleasant surprise really and it made Oswald's unplanned stint as a barista all the more bearable, incessant riddles aside. Still, as much as he had come to enjoy Ed's company, his plans would not be neglected for no one, no matter how good a friend. Gotham was his, all he had to do was take it. The road to success was far from easy, however, and it resulted in a few scrapes with Maroni, as well as others. In the end though, it would all be worth it. Not that everyone felt the same way.

"Did you know that Kopi Luwak coffee is produced using coffee cherries that have been partially digested and defecated by a small animal known as the Asian Palm Civet? That's the reason why it is so expensive."

It was an unusual greeting to be sure but at this point Oswald wasn't surprised by it in the slightest. Ed was always coming out with the most random stuff. "Well you can drink something made from animal poo if you want but count me out" he replied in disgust. He way be responsible for several murders but there were things that even he shied away from whenever possible and beverages made of faeces was one of them. Ed, who's gaze was cast down as he searched for something in his bag, chuckled. His smile vanished, however, when he looked up and saw Oswald's face for the first time that day. "Paolo, who did this to you?" He gasped, staring aghast at the cuts and bruises that covered his friends pale face. Oswald groaned as he rolled his eyes. He really didn't want to get into this. Recent events had made it necessary to inform Maroni of his true identity and having a 'former' agent of Falcone in his midst was something that had taken the empty headed mob boss a while to warm up to, hence Oswald's battered looking appearance. Maroni liked to play rough. The coffee shop was supposed to be a respectable establishment, however, and mention of the owners temper was not appreciated. Besides, to explain it all would likely result in telling Edward everything, plans and all, which was something Oswald wanted to avoid if possible. A lie would have to suffice.

"I got waylaid on my way home last night, some guys tried to mug me" he said, watching as Edward's mouth dropped open in horror. "Did you report it to the police?" Ed asked. It was Oswald's turn to laugh. The thought of going to Jim Gordon to complain about Maroni was unthinkable but Ed didn't know that. "No, they are busy enough already. Besides, nothing was stolen and got away practically unharmed. There's no point" he assured him but Ed was having none of it. "I can make a report for you if you want" he offered "Can you remember what the assailants looked like? I might be able to find them in the GCPD files. We can't let them get away with hurting you like this." Oswald held up a hand to silence him.

"You sound like my mother" he told him with an exasperated tone but he couldn't help but smile fondly. It surprised him that anyone would fuss over him and worry about him as much as his mother but someone obviously did and it was a random man he had met in a café, no less. It meant a lot to him. It was a shame in a way that soon, possibly even that very day, he would be leaving the coffee shop for good. Over the past few weeks he had secretly grown quite attached to Ed, thinking of him as a friend and perhaps even wishing for more. He had never met anyone who seemed to genuinely care about him or enjoy his company and intelligent conversation was equally scarce in this town. Still, he had yet to figure out why Ed had taken a shine to him in the first place. Did Edward even know himself?

They fell back into their usual talking and banter, Ed sharing the gory details of his work at the GCPD which he found so fascinating. The atmosphere in the room lacked the natural easiness that was customary when it was just the two of them, however. Oswald was busy thinking about how this little arrangement would soon be coming to an end whilst Edward still had Oswald's injuries on his mind. Thus preoccupied, the time seemed to fly by even faster than usual and soon Ed was heaving a heavy sigh, having looked at his watch only to realise that his lunch break was almost over already. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow" he said with confident smile which fell the moment he saw the look on Oswald's face.

"Perhaps not, my friend. I'll likely be offered a promotion at any day now and will be going to work at my boss's restaurant. I can't say for certain when I'll be leaving but there is a chance that today might be my last day."

Ed gaped at him. "Well look at this way, you might finally get someone who can actually make coffee next time" Oswald joked feebly, trying to lighten the mood. Edward just sighed. "I guess I'll just go back to working through my lunch hours then" he muttered dejectedly. Oswald frowned before giving voice to something that had been nagging him since they had first met. "Why do you come here?" he asked curiously "I mean lets face it, it can't be for the great service. You still make your own drinks half the time so it can't be for the actual coffee. I'd have thought there are many better places to spend your lunch hour, the morgue included, so why have you kept coming back here?"

Ed swallowed, somewhat taken aback by both Oswald's forwardness and also his apparent ignorance. Ed felt as though he had been pretty obvious about his sentiments. His crush was foolish to be sure, born from just a fleeting first impression, but he had tried his best to convey his interest to the man stood before him and he had felt that he had done a pretty good job. Perhaps, in trying not to be as 'intense' as he had been in his pursuit of Kristen, his efforts had gone unnoticed. "Isn't it obvious?" he said, staring self consciously at his shoelaces. Oswald shook his head, dismissing his own thoughts as wishful thinking. I have to tell him, Ed thought but he couldn't do it. Rejection wasn't something he handled well and if Paolo would soon be out of his life anyway he didn't see the point in spoiling their last meeting. In truth though, he was simply too scared.

He shrugged, chuckling nervously. "Well it's as equally perplexing to me too" he lied as he fiddled with his shirt cuffs anxiously "but never the less, I'm glad that I decided to come here because if I hadn't then we might never have met." Ed held out his hand. "Good luck with your promotion. I hope that we will remain friends, Paolo" he said warmly yet altogether too formally. He wasn't used to goodbyes or having friends in general for that matter. His companion didn't seem to mind, taking the offered hand as he smiled at him sadly.

"It's Oswald actually. I felt that it was only right that I tell you. I lied about who I was to get the job here you see and I had to keep up the charade for as long as my boss remained in the dark about who I really was. It wasn't done by choice you understand and I hope you won't be too upset that I kept the truth from you. Meeting you was an unexpected pleasure and you should know that I consider you a good friend."

Oswald face grew steadily pinker as he spoke, sure that every word he uttered was one word too much. He wanted to tell Edward how he felt about him, how he saw their possible future together going, but he knew he couldn't. Ed would hardly be interested in someone like him and he had more important things to be thinking about than an unrequited crush. There was a long silence before an awkward and surprisingly sad goodbye. Who would have thought that you could bond so quickly and so strongly over coffee?

The 'accident' that Oswald had planned for the restaurant manager that night went just as he had expected which meant that when Ed came to the coffee shop the next day Oswald was indeed gone for good, just as the man himself had predicted. Ed sighed. He guessed that was what came from falling for wanted criminals. He had had his suspicions right from when they had first met so when he had got back to work he had done some poking around only to find that he had been correct. Paolo was the infamous Oswald Cobblepot, a man that Jim Gordon had supposedly murdered and was now facing heat from the M.C.U because of it.

Edward had kept his little discovery to himself, however. Whatever business he had with Maroni put aside, all Oswald was doing was living his life. That wasn't something worth getting him into trouble with the mob over so Ed had played along with the whole 'Paolo' thing for as long as Oswald wanted. Still, it was a shame they had spent their brief association on such close guarded terms. Ed would have loved a chance to get to know the real Oswald but unless he went out of his way to make sure that they reconnected then that would never happen and he couldn't do that. After all, what was he? He was just a lonely forensic scientist who had walked into a random coffee shop, he wasn't cut out for Oswald's world of danger and deceit. If Oswald needed anyone then he needed someone who was able to match him in not only intelligence but ambition and ruthlessness as well and that wasn't someone he could be. That's what he tried to tell himself anyway.

Oswald, however, was busy making quick work of fitting into his new role. His new position as restaurant manager was everything he had hoped for, he had managed to find his way into Maroni's inner circle and had not only managed to gain a significant amount of information for Don Falcone but had also begun to sew the seeds for both men's demises. Gotham would soon fall to its knees, ready for him to claim as his own. Yet, despite his success and the fact that the life of a double crosser was far from easy, Oswald still found that his thoughts kept drifting back to the man he had met and befriended at the coffee shop. As strange as it seemed, he missed him. On quiet days Oswald often found himself wondering what Ed was up to and whether he would ever see him again.

It had been about two weeks since Oswald's promotion and he was just polishing some of the glasses behind the bar before his shift ended for the evening. The restaurant would remain open for another half hour but once Oswald clocked off for the night no new customers would be admitted, the chef would probably start a riot if they were for he was a man with a vicious temper. Having finished his task Oswald prepared to leave. There were no mob meeting scheduled tonight so he had no reason to hang around, he might as well go home to his mother. At that moment, however, he heard the sound of the restaurant door open and close behind him. Oswald whipped around to tell whoever had just entered that they were to late, that it was too close to closing time and that they would have to leave, but those words left him the second he caught sight of the person who was smiling at him from across the bar.

"Table for two please."

Oswald grinned, chuckling in surprise. "Ed, it's great to see you" he cried. "Likewise" Ed replied, beaming. As they shook hands warmly he couldn't help but glance around curiously in an attempt to see who it was that Ed would be dinning with. Not that he was jealous or anything. However, Ed seemed to be alone. Perhaps his dinner guest was running late, Oswald thought to himself. Despite the fact that Ed had arrived just a few minutes past the time when new customers were supposed to be turned away and that he was now off duty, Oswald showed his friend to a small table in a secluded corner of the restaurant. If anyone kicked up a fuss he would tell them where to go but he doubted there would be any trouble. Maroni held Oswald in high esteem so as long as it was clear that Ed was a friend of Oswald's it was unlikely that anyone would raise any objections.

"Well, it is a shame that my shift is over so we wont have a chance to talk but I'm sure that whoever you are having dinner with will arrive soon enough. Don't worry, I'll make sure the boys let them in" Oswald assured Ed brightly, trying his best to ignore the twisting feeling in his stomach. For some reason the thought of Edward enjoying a candle lit dinner with someone else was one he found inexplicably infuriating. He cursed himself for his foolish thinking, as if he could have stood a chance with Ed anyway. Having full filled his duties as host, with much more civility than he had on the first day they had met, Oswald turned to leave, not wanting to interrupt whatever evening Edward had planned or witness the man he had feelings for enjoying another's company, but Ed stopped him. "Aren't you going to sit down?" Ed blurted out suddenly, twisting his hands together nervously. Oswald stared at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Oswald asked, his tone now slightly aggressive. He didn't understand what it was that Ed wanted and it annoyed him, just as it always did when Edward said something that made him feel slow. It was one of the few things that he had not missed about his new friend. Ed swallowed.

"I'm a meeting not of business but of pleasure, simple at a glance but often full of meaning. Two may share me and in doing so often share the contents of their hearts. There at the beginning and repeated till the end, I can last just one night but for some, when done in large numbers, I can pave the way to a lifetime together. What am I?"

Oswald thought for a moment. "A date" he replied finally. There was a pause, then the realisation hit him. "Wait. Are you asking me on a date?" he said in barely more than a whisper, afraid of what the answer might be. He hoped against hope that he hadn't misinterpreted the situation. Ed half laughed, half sighed, looking up into Oswald's eyes fearfully. "Yes" he answered quietly "The truth is Oswald, I have felt drawn to you since we first met. That was why I kept coming back to the coffee shop, because I wanted to spend time with you. I meant to tell you sooner, in fact I thought that I had made my emotions quite clear from the start, but things didn't really go according to plan. After your promotion I tried to stay away. Someone like you would hardly be interested in someone like. Besides, I'd only be getting in the way of your plans and I didn't want that. I have found it impossible to get you out of my mind, however, and I have realised that even if I could I wouldn't want to. I don't expect you to feel the same, I just needed to tell you what a high regard I have for you but I realise now that this was not the time or place. I should go."

Edward made to get up from his seat but Oswald held out a hand to stop him. Then, to Ed's surprise, Oswald sat down in the chair opposite him and laid his clasped hands on top of the table between them with the air of a man who was about to say something important. Ed watched him with bated breath. "You might be good at riddles but you aren't anyway near as good at figuring me out" Oswald smirked "You have misjudged me, although I admit that my treatment of you during our first encounter could hardly have left a good impression. You say that someone like me couldn't find anything of interest in someone like you but you are wrong. I care for you deeply, Ed, and I have missed you these past two weeks. Very few people have ever been kind to me without having intentions of getting something off me in return but you have proven yourself an exception. I am very glad that you came here tonight, now I can tell you that I fallen for you in the same way you seem to have fallen for me." Oswald stared at him tenderly, a small insecure smile on his face, as Edward processed this information.

Suddenly Ed got up from his seat slightly, leaned over the table and pressed his lips softly against Oswald's, who's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected Edward to be so forward. Their noses bumped slightly at first, the fact that neither of them had done this before abundantly clear. Tentatively taking charge, Oswald leant forwards slightly as he tilted his head to the side so as to allow them to deepen the kiss, reaching across the table to gently grasp Ed's hands as he did so. Eventually they broke apart, both blushing scarlet and their breathing was slow and shallow. They locked eyes with one another before simultaneously bursting out laughing. "So, about that date?" Ed mumbled bashfully. "I'd love to" Oswald replied happily.

                                                                                                                                     The End.

**Author's Note:**

> I have never written a coffee shop au and I am NEVER writing one again!!! This was a nightmare! I just sort of gave up in the end. I've spent so long doing established relationship fics that I have completely forgotten what build up is. lol.  
> Thank you to everyone on Tumblr and Facebook for sending me facts about coffee. Much appreciated. :)  
> I wrote all the riddles in this story myself this time. I know, they are not great but oh well. *Shrugs.*


End file.
